Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-12-31

THE LAKE REGION.
Summer Visit to the Saratoga of
the Northwest.

S4V w AS ~~A WI" ~
the Northwest.
By Henry Montgomery, NJ. A., ph: B, Professor Of
Natural Science, University of North Dakota.
Presuming that the district about the
briny waters known as Deyils LAX may
bo Of interest to many of your readers, I
send you a brief sketch of my travels
through this portion of Dakota. Early
in August Of the present year, taking
the train at Grand Forks, Tourney west
ward through a great agricultural coun-
try. Harvesting is in progress and the
wheat presents a fne appearance. All
reports and accounts Of crops are exceed
ingly favorable and everybody seems
thankful and hopeful. We halt for din
ner at the town of Larimore and are re-
froshed by a glimpse of the broad wheat
fields on the Elk Valley farm. Hero a
lady school teacher informs me that she
has 100 acres of good wheat upon her
farm near this place. A short distance
west of Larimore we meet with little hills
and ravines, the latter clad with small
oaks and other trees and shrubs. In
some places the land appears more roll
ing than billy, and considerable gravel
and cobble stones occur. On we go,
bounding over the rolling and hilly
country, and past farm houses and vii.
lagos. Here upon a hill stands q coy
looking painted frame house and a barn,
with a gently sloping road leading there
to. Now we catch sight of a beautiful
little lake and q brood Of young wild
ducks floating on its bosom. Again, a
little further on, we soc another clearly
defined lake, covering five or six acres,
and with a herd Of sixty or seventy cat
tie grazing near its borders. In Nelson
and Ramsey counties we pass the towns
Of Niagara, Michigan City, Mapos, La
kota and Bartlett. At Lakota, Nelson
county scat, VIC meet the gallant and pa
triotic G. A. r.. officer, w. Fl. Brown of
Grand Forks. Tho captain seems deeply
absorbed in harvesting operations on his
farm south of Bartl cit, whore tho crops
are ssid to be elegant" Numbers OF
wild s%untiowers, golden rods, purple as
tors, bergamots and white daisies are in
blossom everywhere W. go. A purple
flower, allied to the thistle and Of exceed
ing beauty, is quite plentiful all through
these townships. West Of Michigan City
there was observed q largo field of oats
i'll which it would be difficult to say
whether tho wild giant sunfower or
tho oats prsdominated. But this is an
exceptional instance, for at the present
time between Devils Lake and Grand
Forks there may be seen miles and miles
Of first-class oats and golden No. l Hard
wheat, tho latter yielding for twenty to
forty bushels per acre.
After about four hours run our train
arrived at Devils Lake. This is a pleas
ant little town situated on q rising eleya-
ton close by q shallow arm Of tho lake
called Creel's bay, and q mile or so far
Their from the deep water than would
soon desirable. It's population i. prob
ably between 1900 and 1000. Owing to
the gradually rising ground that forms
its site, the porous, sandy nature Of the
soil, and its great altitude (some 400
foot above the sea-, with ordinary sani-
tary attention, this spot ought certainly
10 afford a healthful situation for resi-
dences.
The lake, which was at ono time
known as Minnewaukan, lies between
Benson and Ramsey counties, is abou,
tifty-nve miles from cast to west, and is
very irregular in outline, its shores being
indentod with many bays. Tho hills and
ravines around about it are very
Gus. especially upon the southeast side,
and most of them are pretty thickly
covered with oaks, Gins and other trees.
Various natural fruits occur in abund-
ance i'll the woods Of this region, such as
plums, cherries, hops and b%lackhaws, all
OF which arc made use o; by tho inhab-
itants. Tic so-calle1 'blackhaw' wi
burnum prunifoliunnl, OF the honey
suckle family Of plants, is often used for
pie making, while good yeast is said to
be prepared from the beautiful and lug
uriant wild hops. Poison ivy or poisoi.
oak (rhus toxicodendon) of the sumac
family flourishss here, and my expert
cnce with this plant in the neighbor-
hood of Sully's hill cannot soon be for
gotten.
The waters of the. lake are some what
saline; but what Of this, 80 long as they
offer excellent facilities for sailing and
fishing? The IMMORAL salts held in solu-
ton in these waters are much the same
Ha thOSa which, ooo,,r Il, +I> Al...
but the amount is only about one-fourth
ss great. For a lake apparently devoid
of outlet there are just sufficient mineral
salts to prevent undue decomposition of
organic matters, and thus naturally to
insure a constant supply Of unusually
Duse and i%nyigorating air for those who
skim over its surface or reside upon its
borders. There seems to be but two
kinds of fishes known here. The great
lake pike is the larger, and this affords
enjoyable fishing. 1t is related to the
muskallonge, being somewhat smaller
and having very edible tiosh. MIR. Scholes,
a health-seeker from Council Bluffs, and
an exceptionally intelligent gentleman,
appeared to derive great pleasure from,
his manipulation of the hook and line in
the vicinity of Heerman's Landing. Ed.
itor Scholos, who with his estimabls wife
spent q month or two about tho lake dur
ing the past season, has won the reputa-
ton OF being a most successful fisher
man. Many a time did his "catch" tickle
the palates Of the Lakeview guests-for
tho editor is as generous and genial as he
10 literary.
The name by which this, the largest